Add a Picta
Learn how to add a picta, and see the full list of supported picta types.
In DataPicta, you typically first add Data and then visualize that data with one or more Pictas. Hence the name DataPicta!
A picta is a single chart type. DataPicta currently supports these pictas:
| Picta Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Line chart | For trends over time |
| Vertical chart | For comparing categories |
| Horizontal chart | For comparing categories |
| Pie chart | For showing proportions |
| Scatter plot | For relationships between values |
| Radar chart | For comparing multiple dimensions |
| Tree | For hierarchical structures |
| Treemap | For showing proportions within hierarchies |
| Sunburst | For multi-level hierarchical data |
| Candlestick chart | For financial data (open, high, low, close) |
| Heatmap | For patterns across two dimensions |
| Sankey diagram | For flows between categories |
| Funnel chart | For stage-by-stage drop-offs |
| Gauge chart | For single values on a dial |
| Streamgraph | For flowing changes over time |
More picta types are planned for the future! Before adding a picta, you should always add data to your chart first. See the Data documentation for how to add and manage data.
The Add a Picta dialog
Once you have data ready, adding a picta is simple:
- Click the Pictas title in the right sidebar (it has a chart icon that becomes a + on hover).
- A dialog opens showing a grid of 16 picta type cards. Each card has a thumbnail preview and the picta name.
- Click the picta type you want — the dialog closes, and a new picta panel is added to the sidebar.
Your chart preview updates immediately. DataPicta automatically tries to map your data fields to the picta's settings. For example, in a bar chart the first data field is mapped to the x-axis (categories), and the second field to the y-axis (values). For this auto-mapping to work, data fields need the correct type (e.g., text for categories, numbers for values).
If DataPicta can't auto-map the data, a warning dialog explains what's missing. You can fix this manually in the Data Binding section of the picta panel, or by re-ordering your data fields in the Data panel.
In most cases, the default mappings work fine and you'll see your data visualized right away. You can then fine-tune the picta settings as needed.
To add more pictas (for multi-chart layouts or combination charts), click Add picta again. You can even add multiple pictas of the same type — each gets its own panel. To copy a picta with all its custom settings, use the duplicate icon on the closed panel.